Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 27 cents per share, a decline of 3.6% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. The average estimate is the same as three months ago. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate was unchanged. It also has not changed during the last month. For the year, analysts are projecting net income of $1.09 per share, a decline of 2.7% from last year.

Past Earnings Performance: The company is looking to top estimates for the third straight quarter. Last quarter, it reported profit of 28 cents per share against a mean estimate of net income of 26 cents, and the quarter before, the company exceeded forecasts by 2 cents with profit of 29 cents versus a mean estimate of net income of 27 cents.

A Look Back: In the first quarter, profit fell 67.5% to $19 million (16 cents a share) from $58.5 million (51 cents a share) the year earlier, but exceeded analyst expectations. Revenue fell 41.4% to $82.2 million from $140.2 million.

Wall St. Revenue Expectations: Analysts predict a decline of 10.1% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $79.3 million.

Stock Price Performance: Between May 30, 2012 and July 26, 2012, the stock price had risen $1.70 (8.7%), from $19.56 to $21.26. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between January 12, 2012 and January 26, 2012, when shares rose for 10 straight days, increasing 10.1% (+$1.77) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between July 29, 2011 and August 8, 2011 when shares fell for seven straight days, dropping 22.1% (-$4.28) over that span.

Key Stats:

The company is riding some good income statement momentum into the upcoming earnings announcement. The company reported losses in the third quarter of the last fiscal year and the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, but finished in the black with income of $19 million in the first.

On the top line, the company is hoping to use this earnings announcement to snap a string of two-straight quarters of revenue declines. Revenue fell 3.4% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year and dropped again in the first quarter.

Analyst Ratings: There are mostly holds on the stock with nine of 13 analysts surveyed giving that rating.